Spark plug



Aug. 25, 1 925. 1 1,551,172

- J. P. RITCHEY SPARK PLUG Filed Nov. 12, 1921 Sh ve/n1 01',

, RifbCh/Q shoulder is 1.1

UNITED STATES PATENT 0F 1,551,172 r ce- I JOHN 1'. RITCHEY, or marinar 0310..

SPARK PLUG.

Application filed November 12, 1921. SeriaI' No. 514,682.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I,\JOHN P RrroHEY.

citizen of the United States, residing at Findlay, in the county of Hancock and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark Plugs,-

of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to an improved spark plug and seeks as one of its principal objects to provide a plug embodying a plurality of spark gaps for increasing the citiciency of the plug. v

A further object of the invention is to provide a plug wherein fiow of current through themain electrode of the plug will be interrupted by a plurality of gaps arranged near the upper end of the plugand wherein said gaps will be enclosed and protected.

And the invention has a still further object to provide a plugwherein flow of current from the main electrode of the plug to the shell will be interrupted by a plurality of' spark gaps across which the current must jumpto reach the shell for thus insuring dependable firing of the plug.

' Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawlng: Figure 1 1s a vertical sectional View taken medially through my improved plug, and

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the pltig. Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I employ a shell threaded at its lower end for engagement in the usual spark plug orifice of an engine cylinder and fitting through, theshell is an) insulator 11.- This insulator maybe ofporcelain or other approved material and-formed thereon'is an annular shoulder' lfl beneath whichis ar ranged-21. gasket 13 and overlying said,

similar gasketwl l. Threaded into the she the shell, the gaskets serving, of course, to

provide sealed joins between the insulator I and the shell. Atits lower end the insulator j to" co-act with. the lattergasket' is a nut 15 firmly binding t he insulator uponin}; a spark cup or recess 18 inone side of the insulator. Extending diametricallyof the insulator is a transverse electrode 19 one end of which projects into 'aspark cup the cup18 while the opposite end of said electrode is provided with a depending terminal 2/1 entering the cup 20 to provide a spark gap between said terminal and the adjacent end of the electrode 19. Extending diametrically through 'the insulator above the electrode 22in spaced parallel relation thereto, is atransverse electrode 25 one end of which enters aspark cup 26 in the insulator above the cup 20 while the opposite end of said electrode-is provided with a depending terminal 27 entering the cup 23 to provide a spark gap between said terminal and the adjacent end of the electrode 22.

As will thus be seen, the electrodes 19, 22 and,

25 are all similar in construction and formed on said electrodes or otherwise secured thereto are bosses 28 securing said electrode against endwise movement. The main electrode 16 is also preferably providedwith a similar boss 29. Embedded in the upper end portion of the insulator is an electrode 30 projectingthrough the upper end of the insulator and. oifsetto define a terminal31 entering the spark cup 26-to provide a spark gap between said terminal and'the adjacent end of the electrode'25. Snugly but removably fitting over the upper end portion of the electrode is a frusto-conical protectingjacket 32 and arranged between the lower end of sai'd jacket and the nut-.15 isa preferably asbestos-gasket 33. At its upper end the jacket terminates flush with the upper end the electrode 16 to provide a spark gap therebetween. The insulatoralso carries a some what longer elect-rode 38' cooperating with the electrode 37 to provide a spark gap therebetween and extending from the shel at its lower end is an electrode 39 cooperating, with the electrode 38 to provide a spark gap therebetween.

As will now be readily understood in View of the preceding description, current flowing through the electrode 30 will jump to the electrode 25, then to the electrode 22,

. then to the electrode 19, and then to the v electrode 16.

of the gaps between the electrodes 37, 38 and 39 are fouled. Furthermore, should one of these gaps become-shorted a spark will still be I produced at the remaining gaps. The cups 18, 20, 23"a;11d 26 are provided'at the periphery of the insulator so that simply by removing the jacket 32, access may had to the spark gaps within the cups.

- Accordingly, the ends of the electrodes projec-ting into the cups may be readily cleaned while the jacket 32 will normally serve to enclose and protect the projecting ends of the cups housing the gaps. Furthermore, the jacket 32 will also serve to protect the projecting upper end of the insulator and will minimize the possibility of fracture thereof. .1. accordingly provide a plug of highly eificient design and, as will be seen', a plug which may readily employed in connection with internal combustion engines a third electrode upon the insulator forming of substantially any conventional design.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimedas new is:

1. A spark plug lncluding a shell, B an insulator carried thereby, a main electrodeprojecting at one end of the'insulator, an

electrode atthe opposite end'of the insulator,

spark gaps between the first and second mentioned electrodes at the side surface of the insulator, and a jacket fitting the insulator and housing said gaps.

2. A spark plug lncluding a shell, an

From. the electrode 16 the insulator carried thereby and provided with spark cups at the side surface thereof, a

. main electrode projecting'at one end bf the insulator and e tendingin'toone of said cups, an electrode, at the oppositeend of the 1nsulator projecting into.another of sald cups,

and a third electrodeupon the insulator extending between thefcups and forming spark gaps at the cups between said filst and second mentioned electrodes.

3. A spark plug including a shell, an in-.

sulator carried thereby and provided with spark cups at the. side surface thereof, a main electrode projecting at one end of the insulator and extending into one of said cups, an electrode at the opposite end of the insulator projecting into another of said cups, a third electrode upon the insulator extending between the cups and forming spark gaps at the cups between said first and second mentioned electrodes, andfa acket surrounding the insulator closing said cups. s 1

4. A spark plug including a shell, an

a plurality of peripheral. spark cups, a main electrode projecting at one end of the in be insulator carried thereby and provided with sulator and extending into one of said cups,

another elect-rode projecting at the opposite end of the insulator and extending to another of said cups, a plurality of transverse electrodesupon the insulator extending between the'cups and forming spark gaps between each other as well as between said first and second mentioned electrodes, and a jacket fitting the insulator and closing said cups. 5. A spark plug including a shell, an

insulator carried thereby and provided at a pointbetween its ends with a surface spark cup, and coaeting electrodes upon the insulator forming a spark gap'at" said cup.

6. A spark plug including a shell, an insulator carried thereby and provided at a point between its ends with a surface spark cup, .coacting electrodes upon the insulator "forminga spark gap at said cup, and a jacket surrounding the insulator housing said gap.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN P. RITCHEY. '[L.s.] 

